Limitless

While reading the Summer edition of Sport Illustrated today, I was pleased to see an array of articles written about members of our nation's military. For instance, their "Faces in the Crowd" section featured athletes from military academies across the country, as well as veterans playing at the collegiate level. Although I was impressed with what those players have accomplished, I found a team of veteran-athletes who were slightly more impressive; the individuals I'm referring to are members of the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team.

Made up of US soldiers and Marines, who have lost limbs while serving overseas post-9/11, the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team (WWAST) seeks awareness and support for our nation's military. With opponents such as the FBI, the U.S. Naval Academy, as well as police and fire departments across the country, members of the WWAST know no boundaries- on or off the playing field. Solely comprised of able-bodied players, the opposing teams- such as the FBI's softball team- don't question the team's abilities for very long.

In the SI article, "WWAST:Battlefield to Ball Field," one of the players chimed in. "'I think teams might underestimate us a little bit at first,' says pitcher Josh Wege, 22, a Marine lance corporal who lost both of his lower legs in 2009 after his armored vehicle ran over a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. 'But that doesn't last long.'" In impressive fashion, the WWAST creamed the FBI 35-10 during a game played at George Mason University this past May. As their summer schedule rages on, the WWAST continues to uphold their vision that "life without a limb is limitless".